WordPress · Free + Pro · v3.1.0
Run direct display ads and cloaked affiliate links free. Add Pro to accept paid classifieds and let members buy and launch their own campaigns through a self-serve Advertiser Portal. Five ad types. Sixteen placements. Server-side tracking. AdSense + direct rotation in the same slot.
Four surfaces, one plugin
Display ads and link management ship free. The Pro classifieds marketplace and Advertiser Portal hand selling to your members. Each module is independent - turn on what you need, ignore the rest. Canonical step-by-step flows at store.wbcomdesigns.com/wb-ad-manager/docs.
Free plugin · Ad Management
For: Site owner
Five ad types (image, rich content, HTML/JS code, AdSense, email capture), 16+ placements, scheduling + frequency caps. Geo-targeting by country ships free.
Pro · Advertiser Portal
For: Member / advertiser
Self-serve Advertiser Portal. Members sign up, top up wallet credits, buy an Ad Package you defined, submit creative. You approve and the ad runs against your inventory.
Pro · Classifieds
For: Member / seller
Marketplace for items, jobs, rentals, services. Built-in categories + custom fields per category. Members submit, pay if required, browse + send inquiries.
Free + Pro · Link Management
For: Site owner / editor
Wrap partnership URLs in branded /go/<slug> redirects with click tracking, free. Pro adds CSV bulk import (map a ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links export), keyword auto-linking, and the link scanner.
How it works
WB Ad Manager from WordPress.org or wbcomdesigns.com. Two independent free tools: the ad manager and the link cloaker. Classifieds arrives when you add Pro.
Five ad types (image, rich content, HTML/JS code, AdSense, email capture) drop into 16+ placement hooks across the site. Affiliate links cloak to branded /go/<slug> URLs with one click.
Server-side impression + click tracking in free. Upgrade to Pro for the advertiser portal, classifieds, A/B testing, CSV export, and geo + device analytics.
Who it's for
Each playbook covers setup, pricing model, ad inventory, and the exact settings to flip.
Direct ad sales
Sell sidebar + in-article + header inventory to sponsors directly. Higher CPMs than programmatic on niche audiences.
Read the playbook →Self-serve ad platform
Pro: members buy credits, build their own campaigns, you set inventory + commission. Reddit/Facebook model on WordPress.
Read the playbook →Paid classifieds (Pro)
Craigslist-style classifieds with built-in categories, search, paid posting + featured upgrades. Ships with Pro.
Read the playbook →AdSense + direct hybrid
AdSense fills the long tail, direct sponsors take the premium slots. Plugin handles the swap automatically.
Read the playbook →Full-stack publisher
Display + affiliate + sponsored posts + newsletter ads, managed from one plugin with separate attribution.
Read the playbook →Link partnerships + cloaking
Branded /go/<slug> URLs for sponsored, affiliate, partner links. Server-side click tracking free; CSV bulk import with Pro.
Read the playbook →Everything in one plugin
AdRotate handles only display ads. ClassiPress only does classifieds. WB Ad Manager covers all of it in one product line with one admin dashboard, one update schedule, and shared tracking. AdSense + direct ads rotate in the same slot automatically.
Image banners, rich content (WYSIWYG), HTML/JS code (Ezoic / Mediavine tags), native AdSense integration, email capture forms.
Before / after / inside content, sidebar (3 slots), header bar, footer bar, between archive posts, around comments, BuddyPress feed, bbPress topics.
AdSense fills unsold inventory automatically; direct campaigns override during their date range; AdSense returns when the campaign ends.
Real impressions + clicks, not pixel-counted. CTR per ad in free. Geo + device breakdowns and CSV export come with Pro analytics.
Three layouts (grid, list, gallery), built-in categories + custom fields per category, search filters, paid posting through your existing WooCommerce or membership billing.
Front-end member dashboard. Wallet credits, Ad Packages you define, submission queue, real-time impression + spend reports. Single shortcode: [wbam_advertiser_dashboard].
Five adapters: WooCommerce Products, WooCommerce Subscriptions, WooCommerce Memberships, Paid Memberships Pro, MemberPress. Use the billing stack you already run.
Branded /go/<slug> URLs with rel="nofollow sponsored" and the partnership inquiry workflow ship free. Pro adds keyword auto-linking, the link scanner, CSV import, and advanced link analytics.
No third-party tracking pixels, no IP storage by default, FTC disclosure shortcodes for sponsored posts, AdSense policy-safe code rendering.
Compare
| Alternative | What you give up | WB Ad Manager |
|---|---|---|
| ThirstyAffiliates + Pretty Links + ClickMagick | $200-900/yr across 3 plugins + SaaS, no shared dashboard | One free plugin. Cloaking + tracking unified. |
| AdRotate Pro / Advanced Ads Pro | $49-149/yr for ad-management-only. Classifieds + cloaking sold separately. | Ads + cloaks free in one install; classifieds with Pro. |
| Google Ad Manager (DFP) for self-serve | Enterprise tool. Engineering required to wire member self-serve. | Front-end advertiser dashboard built in (Pro). |
| OLX / Marketplace plugins for classifieds | Built for general consumer marketplaces; weak fit for niche communities. | Niche-first classifieds with category + custom fields. |
When you outgrow free
The free plugin runs direct ads + cloaking. Pro adds the classifieds marketplace and lets your members sign up as advertisers, top up credits, and run their own campaigns against your inventory. You set the rate card and keep the revenue.
Common questions
Yes. The free WB Ad Manager runs the link cloaker + ad manager (5 ad types, 16+ placements, geo-targeting by country). No SaaS fees, no quota, no license key. The classifieds marketplace is part of Pro. Distributed via WordPress.org and wbcomdesigns.com EDD.
No. The core plugin works on any WordPress install. WooCommerce (or a supported membership plugin) is only needed for Pro credit top-ups and paid classifieds posting. BuddyPress is optional; when active you get community ad placements and portal profile tabs.
No. The plugin renders AdSense ad code unchanged, complies with the 3-units-per-page limit, and uses 302 redirects on cloaked affiliate links (per Google policy). Mixed AdSense + direct sponsor inventory rotates in the same slot without modification.
Yes, with Pro: export your links to CSV from ThirstyAffiliates or Pretty Links, then map columns (URL, name, slug) in the Pro CSV importer. The cloaking prefix is configurable so existing /go/ style backlinks keep working.
Members sign up as advertisers (separate WordPress role), top up credits via your existing WooCommerce / membership billing, build campaigns in a front-end dashboard, submit for moderation, and run them against your rate card. You set CPM / CPC prices. Plugin tracks spend, deducts credits, reports per campaign.
Pro is $59/year for Personal (1 site), $129/year for Professional (5 sites), and $299/year for Agency (unlimited sites). Every tier includes the full Pro feature set: Advertiser Portal, wallet, classifieds, A/B testing, analytics. Tiers differ by site count. If you would rather pay once, lifetime licenses are $199 / $299 / $499. Every purchase includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
The free plugin is a complete production setup for direct ad sales + affiliate cloaking. Or spin up the InstaWP sandbox for a pre-configured WordPress install with WB Ad Manager Pro pre-activated.
Yes. WB Ad Manager uses WordPress core hooks and inherits theme styles. Tested with default WordPress themes, BuddyX, Reign, GeneratePress, Astra, Kadence, Blocksy, and most major frameworks. No specific theme dependency.
Free plugin: WordPress.org support forum + community docs. Pro licenses: priority email support at wbcomdesigns.com/support/ with one-business-day response. Documentation lives at store.wbcomdesigns.com/wb-ad-manager/docs/.
Wbcom Designs - WordPress agency since 2013. 4.7/5 on Trustpilot from 90+ reviews. We ship community + commercial WordPress plugins (BuddyX, Reign, Jetonomy, WPMediaVerse, Learnomy, WP Career Board) plus AI workflows for enterprise teams.
Install the free plugin, drop your first ad into the sidebar, see real impressions and clicks before lunch.